Oracy at Buckingham
Teaching is listening, learning is talking.
Our Oracy Vision
Oracy is the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage with others through spoken language.
At Buckingham Primary School, we believe that oracy is a key foundational skill which not only underpins the development of reading and writing, but is also a powerful tool for learning across the wider curriculum.
We understand that effective spoken language skills are one of the strongest predictors of future life chances which is why we want our pupils to receive a high quality oracy education which teaches them to learn to talk, as well as learn through talk.
We want our school to be a place where our pupils, staff and parents speak with kindness, confidence and clarity. A school where everybody has a voice and everybody feels valued and listened to.
Voice 21
We are taking part in the Voice 21 Oracy programme.
Voice 21 is on a mission to transform the learning and life chances of young people through talk, so that all children can use their voice for success in school and in life.
There will be information added as we progress through the Voice 21 programme. In the meantime, you can download key documentation linked to Oracy below:
Voice 21 Discussion Guidelines
Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) Programme
Buckingham Primary School has recently signed up to the Nuffield Early La
nguage Intervention (NELI) programme. This is an evidence-based initiative designed to support the development of essential language skills in young children. Targeted primarily at 4- and 5-year-olds, the programme aims to help those who may be behind their peers in language ability, ensuring they have a strong foundation for academic success.
NELI provides carefully structured, small-group sessions led by trained teaching assistants, focusing on improving children’s listening, vocabulary, and narrative skills. The programme is designed to identify and support children with speech and language difficulties at an early age, promoting their communication and literacy development. By improving these critical skills, NELI helps close the gap in early language development and gives every child the chance to succeed in their education journey.
This programme has been shown to significantly boost children's language skills, helping schools create a more inclusive learning environment for all.
Helicopter Stories
Helicopter Stories is a simple approach to supporting speaking and listening in the Early Years Foundati
on Stage. The teacher sits with a child, listens to their story, and writes it down word for word. Once the story has been scribed, the class gather around a staged area to act it out. All children have role to play in the storytelling as the teacher reads out the child's story. Helicopter Stories value children’s creativity and imaginative play, whilst supporting language development, storytelling and emergent literacy. In Reception and Nursery, Helicopter stories happen once a week. During continuous provision a child's story is scribed and the performance takes place together, as a whole class, for around 15 minutes.